Joliet, IL vs Elgin, IL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Joliet, IL spends 31% more per resident than Elgin, IL: $18,675 against $14,229. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Elgin, IL holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 58/100 (grade C) against 40/100 (grade D) for Joliet, IL — a 18-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Elgin, IL carries the lighter load at $617 per resident versus $4,260 for Joliet, IL. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Joliet, IL at $459 per resident and in Elgin, IL at $1,641.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Joliet, IL at 92% of total revenue, whereas Elgin, IL relies most on charges and fees at 43%.
Summary
Joliet spends 31.2% more per capita than Elgin ($4,445/person difference). Elgin, IL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 58/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $323 | $754 |
| Income Tax | $1,006 | $651 |
| Intergovernmental | $12,066 | $1,170 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,156 | $2,267 |
| Other | $3,429 | $1,754 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $208 | $222 |
| Highways & Roads | $165 | $116 |
| Education | $0 | $53 |
| Public Welfare | $2,118 | $718 |
| Health | $450 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $485 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $459 | $1,641 |
| Housing | $3,292 | $4,472 |
| Sewerage | $94 | $0 |
| Utilities | $3,400 | $2,850 |
| Other | $8,005 | $4,159 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.